


The Tookaly Paw-some café

by ffdemon



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: "Garazeb Orrelios. Honored soldier, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Inspired by Discord, M/M, Pet Adoption, Post-Episode: s04e15-16 Family Reunion – and Farewell, Tooka Cats (Star Wars), feared rebel... boyfriend extraordinaire, space cat cafe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ffdemon/pseuds/ffdemon
Summary: Though this first visit had been an accident, all the other visits were planned.Kallus took the habit of visiting this café during his time off while on Coruscant. He would go there to read mission files or write reports with a warm caf and Grumpus happily purring on his lap. The tooka would always be extra affectionate, especially when he had been off the world for duty. In particular bad days, Kallus would press his face in its short purple and greenish fur and mutter into those big ears about everything that happened.
Relationships: Alexsandr Kallus/Garazeb "Zeb" Orrelios
Comments: 14
Kudos: 46





	The Tookaly Paw-some café

The first time Kallus visited the place, it had been by pure accident. He was on Coruscant and was just discharged from the military hospital after the events of Oderon. On his way to the Navy Office to receive his new assignment, he had been surprised by a sudden rain. Not wanting to ruin his uniform or risk slipping with his still wounded leg, he entered the first business open.

The Tookaly Paw-some café.

The junior ISB agent had known such places existed, but never had the need to visit one. Yet the smell of caf and pastry was mouth-watering after a week of hospital food. Knowing he had time to get to the Bureau and since the rain didn’t look like it would stop soon, he decided to indulge himself. Luckily all the tookas were busy with other patrons so he didn’t have to worry about having fur on his pants.

Just after he received the food he ordered, he could not shake the feeling that someone—something—was staring at him. He scanned the room. Nothing seemed suspicious until his eyes met two yellow ones staring right at him.

He froze.

_Yellow eyes looking at him with so much hate and anger. The flames, suffocating. The dying screams of his fellow soldiers..._

Kallus was pulled out of his flashback by a sudden weight on his legs. It took him all his self-control not to yelp and push away... whatever it was.

The tooka was lying on his lap like he had always been there, purring softly as its claws dug into his pants.

It was such an ugly thing.

Its fur was a dark purple with a greenish-yellow face and stripes. One of his ears was missing the tip and his lower canines were sticking out of his mouth. It was bulky too, reminding Alexsandr of a mouse droid.

Unsure of what to do, Kallus looked up at the employees for assistance. Three of them, a young woman, an older woman and a teenage boy, were staring at him and the tooka like the latter was a bomb or worse.

“A little help here?” He snapped.

“Sorry, sir…. It's just, it's the first time we see old Grumpus taking a shine to anyone.” The younger woman said as she stepped closer to attempt to shoo the tooka away. But the hellbeast hissed at her and his claw dug even deeper in the Imperial agents’ legs.

“Ow…. Alright, you can stay. Stop trying to shred my pants.” Kallus hissed back.

To his surprise, the animal calmed down and purred his heart away on his lap as if he had already forgotten his belligerent behavior. “You must be special.” The older woman said.

“I just think he wants to annoy me.” Kallus sighed. “Isn’t it dangerous to have a Tooka this aggressive around customers?”

“Oh, we didn’t make that decision. Grumpus sneaked in out of the blue a few months ago and refused to leave since. He normally just stays in the tooka tower during the working shifts and keeps the kitten in check. On one occasion, he had chased a bad client out.” The woman explained. “He is the café's silent guardian angel.”

Kallus sighed. It appeared that he would be stuck with that tooka until he grew bored and left him be. If he was lucky, he might be able to get out of there without being mauled.

He reached for his caf and looked back at the tooka. “Grumpus, mmm? Seems accurate.”

The cat-like animal gently bumped his head against his free hand, purring loudly. Alexsandr slowly and carefully pet him, telegraphing each movement in order not to surprise the beast. His amber eyes were studying the small body for any sign of aggressivity or imminent attack.

Nothing. Only the loudest purr he ever heard.

Kallus sat there for nearly an hour. The caf and the food were pretty good, and he couldn’t deny that the tooka's warm and gentle vibrations were working wonders to his injured legs. He would have stayed this way forever if he could. The rain had finally stopped and he had to go soon if he didn’t want to run late.

“I’m sorry Grumpus, but I have to leave. I am expected somewhere else.” He explained, hoping that would be enough. He preferred not to have to fight the beast.

The yellow eyes snapped opened and looked up. They seemed to study him a moment before he mewed unhappily but jumped down without a fight.

“Thank you for the company.” Kallus said, scratching him one last time between his ears before standing up.

Grumpus walked by his side until he reached the door. Alex didn’t turn back but he felt those eyes following until he approached the end of the street.

Though this first time had been an accident, all the other visits were planned.

Kallus took the habit of visiting this café during his time off while on Coruscant. He would go there to read mission files or write reports with a warm cafe and Grumpus happily purring on his lap. The tooka would always be extra affectionate, especially when he had been off the world for duty. In particular bad days, Kallus would press his face in its short purple and greenish fur and mutter into those big ears about everything that happened.

If any other ISB agent or higher command officer could have heard him, he would probably have been accused of treason. Luckily, none were coming here and most of the regulars never wanted to get in trouble with an imperial.

After Lasan… Kallus had felt the need to beg for silent forgiveness as he held the old cat in his arms. Something about the pet reminded him of that guardsman. The fact he has surrended his weapon right before dying have given him mixed feelings, confusion but also, respect. Nothing that day had gone the way it was supposed to.

Grumpus' quiet acceptance had been therapeutical. If this tooka seemed to still think he was still worthy of his fondness…. Perhaps Kallus wasn’t such a terrible person.

More than once, the old woman he talked with the first time, which was acutally the owner of the café, has offered to let him adopt Grumpus. If it wasn’t for his lifestyle and his many assignments, Kallus would have accepted in a heartbeat. But a Star Destroyer wasn’t a place for an animal to live. Maybe if he ever got a desk job... Yet that wasn’t something Kallus would ever want.

Then, he had been assigned to the Lothal rebel case. He has gone into battle, thinking it would be settled in no time.

By the Force, did he was a fool.

Yes, the Ghost crew has been a major pain in his arse for two years, but in the end it had been for the best. It changed his existence the best way possible. He finally mustered the courage to really see the Empire's actions as they truly were and found his place in the universe.

Indeed, he would never regret this. He never thought that he would meet the most honourable man he ever had the chance to stand alongside with in this life.

Kallus had been busy since, yet thought about Grumpus from time to time. Such as when he watched some lothcats in the field near the rebels base. But mostly when observing Garazeb’s reactions. The way his ears moved around or how Zeb laid his head on his lap and purred softly during naps between missions. The human even called him by the tooka's name once after he woke up quite cranky.

Which had brought him to talk about his feline friend and the small café on Coruscant to Zeb a few occasions. On a harsh day, it was helping to remember happy moments.

Then something inconceivable happened. The rebellion won against the Empire.

For the first time in decades, Kallus could now believe the galaxy would finally find peace. It wouldn’t be easy and there would be a lot of politics involved. Not what he and Zeb were trained for such matters. They were warriors and protectors. They had done their part in this war.

Hence why, maybe, when Zeb had offered to travel the galaxy, he has accepted without a second thought. He had spent most of his life on the starship and passed by so many worlds he couldn't remember all the names, never having the occasion to explore and discover any of them.

They agreed to escort a fleet of dignitary ships to Coruscant and then would officially retire. Kallus found there was something nice to be able to start his new life back on his homeworld. He would be able to show Zeb around. Not like the Lasat ever had the chance to set foot on this planet before, though.

However, Kallus was a bit confused, and even hurt, to see Zeb disappear on him right after landing. Kallus hoped they could go visit the tooka café, but it seemed they would have to wait the next day. Good thing they weren't in a rush. It had been one of the first things he had checked when they entered Coruscant’s airspace. He had been surprised yet pleased to find out it was still open. Even with the war, people needed the comfort and a way to escape the harsh reality.

Kallus walked back to the ship. There was not much he wanted to keep after leaving the rebellion but the _Glimmer of Hope_. It had been the first thing he owned since he lost his bo-rifle and his meteorite. It represented freedom. Zeb had explained that the Glimmer might take sometime to get where he wanted – to get here. Instead, they hitched a ride to this secret location in a new republic transport. Then, they made the remaining of the journey with the _Glimmer_.

Kallus pat affectionately the frame of the ship before he strolled inside.

Expecting the place to be empty, he froze when he heard some noise in the gallery. He reached for his weapon as he carefully walked toward said noise. Suddenly, the loud bang of something metallic falling to the ground pierced the silence.

“Karabast…” The familiar voice and swear made Kallus calm down.

Kallus stepped into the gallery, sure to see Zeb struggling with some of the smaller food crate, not expecting the Lasat trying to bandage a really nasty gash on his arm.

“Zeb! What happened?” He asked, walking toward him.

Many scenarios flashed in his mind. Had Zeb gotten in a fight? Did someone attack him? Was that the only wound? Coruscant was under the new Republic power but that didn’t mean peace was everywhere. There were still Imperial forces around the planet.

“Alex…. It's not what you think.” He claimed, clearly surprised and nearly dropping the bacta patch he was trying to put on his injury.

“And that being? Because at the moment I am considering a lot of possibilities.” Kallus responded, walking closer to help him clean and patch his wound.

“I didn’t get in a fight or gotten attacked…” Zeb mumbled before he hissed when Kallus cleaned the laceration. “Seems that my face doesn’t only scare Puffer pigs.”

“Did you go to the lower levels and fight a hive rat or a corridor Ghoul? Take a stroll in a Zoo? Because I don’t know many creatures that could make as much damage on Coruscant” the human commented, fixing the patch.

Zeb mumbled something too low for Kallus to catch.

“What?” he asked.

“It…. was a tooka.” The Lasat repeated, his ears moving back in embarrassment.

“Garazeb Orrelios, what did you do?” Alex sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted.

He loved Zeb with all his heart, but sometimes it was like trying to keep a child out of trouble. At least a child could be put in time out.

“I just wanted to prepare a surprise for you.” Zeb growled and looked away.

Before Kallus could inquire about the nature of the surprise, a loud yowl came from the small hallway toward the crew quarters, followed by screeching.

“What have you brought in?” He asked, walking toward the sound.

“Alex, be careful….” Zeb said, trailing behind him.

“Stay put. Don’t want you to add another wound.” He ordere, stopping him front of the spare quarters they mostly used as storage.

There was more yowling and hissing as he stood there for a moment. The creature probably heard him and maybe smelled him through the door. He crouched down as he began to speak softly. “Hey, it's okay…. No one here wants to hurt you.”

Kallus continued to talk until the noise seemed to quiet down and he heard something move. Whatever was in there had moved away from the entrance. He could open it safely without the thing running around the ship and hide somewhere dangerous for it or them.

“Alex…” Zeb asked nervously as he watched from a distance the human reach pressing the button to open the door.

“I will be okay…. I'm used to deal with claws, sharp teeths and rough temper.” He teased his lover before he stepped inside.

The first thing he spotted was how clean was the area. All the stuff they normally kept there seemed to have been put away in crates and secured at the back of the room. The rest of the room contained, oddly, a bowl of water and food, a large tooka tree, a waste disposal for a pet and plenty of toys. A bed with a cover on the blankets and pillows.

Then he saw them. Those familiar yellow eyes watching from the top of the tree.

“Grumpus... Is that you, pal?” he asked softly as he sat down on the bed.

Kallus barely had time to reach the bed before the tooka jumped straight on his lap, meowing loudly and rubbing his back again his beard. Kallus chuckled as he ran a hand in the purple and greenish fur.

“I know…. I was gone a really long time. I’m sorry. I missed you too.” He muttered, feeling his voice quivering with emotion.

He hasn’t expected the tooka to still be in this realm of existence. But it seemed he refused to even let death take him away.

“You're alright in there?” Zeb asked from the doorway.

“We are doing fine.” The human confirmed as he continued to pet his old friend.

Zeb took a few step forward and stopped when Grumpus looked at him and hissed. “Easy. I told you we’re bringing you to someone you like.”

The Lasat and the tooka stared at each other for a long time, before Grumpus decided that he wasn’t a danger and carried on rubbing against Kallus's mutton chops, still purring.

“Should I be jealous?” Zeb mumbled, clearly unhappy that some beast was putting his smell over his own.

“Of course not, dear.” Kallus chuckled softly.

This continued for a few more minutes before Grumpus finally laid on Kallus' legs, ready to sleep off the stress of the day.

“Zeb, I’m really happy to see him again, but what is the meaning of this?” Alexsandr asked, looking at his boyfriend.

“You talked about this little fellow with so much affection…. I thought you would like to have him around. I mean, he has not left the café for years. A ship is no smaller. And where we are going, he would have all the space to run and to take naps in the sun. The lady at the café says he deserves to spend the remainder of his time with his favourite human. She has no idea how much longer he has to live, a year or ten…. But he deserves a second life. Don’t you think?” Zeb explained.

Kallus looked down at the cat on his lap, trying to hide his tears. It was such a thoughtful gesture. He was not sure how to express how much it touched him. Zeb was right, Grumpus deserved to be happy and loved. The same chance Garazeb has offered him one night on Yavin-IV.

“Thank you, Zeb.” He whispered.

“Don’t mention it…. Just try to keep that beast from killing me in my sleep and we should be okay.” The other man said. “I will go make something to eat. You two can catch up.”

“Maybe I should cook, with your arm.” Kallus suggested as he attempted to move the tooka though he didn’t budge.

“I fought stromtroppers in worst shape. I think I can handle the kitchen.” Zeb chuckled as he walked out.

Kallus leaned against the wall and continued to pet Grumpus. The only way he had felt this relaxed was when he laid beside Zeb at night. Seemed he had a thing for fur and soft purring. So much comfortable, he fell asleep without realizing...

...Until he heard the door open again. Still, he was too tired to open his eyes.

Grumpus' ears flapped back on his head and he emitted another small growl. But this time Zeb ignored the warning and moved a hand closer so the tooka could smell him.

“Yeah, I understand. I love him too. But trust me … there is no one in the galaxy that wants to protect him as much as I do. So if we team up, nothing should get to him.” The Lasat's deep voice was softer than usual and it made Kallus' heart skip a beat. “Do we have a deal?”

Kallus slowly opened his eyes to watch what would happen.

After a moment, Grumpus rubbed his face on his fingers but still stared at Zeb with his yellow eyes. They had a deal yet the cat didn’t fully trust him. Zeb had learned how to be patient with Corusanti out of their element.

The human raised a hand to run his fingers in Zeb’s beard and gently guided him down for a gentle kiss. “I love you.” He whispered against his mouth.

Zeb’s response was cut as a tooka head popped between them, Grumpus demanding the attention back to himself.

“You will both have to learn to share.” Kallus chuckled a little.

“Sounds like it.” Zeb said.

The rest of the day went well, with everyone getting used to each other and the new environment. To Kallus' relief, Grumpus didn’t seem to mind being inside a ship. The next test would be to see how he would react to space travel.

But that was for tomorrow.

Because now was night time, and Kallus wondered if there might have been a flaw in this plan.

If he had thought that Zeb was taking a lot of space in their bed, that was before adopting an eighteen-pound tooka. Now, he was sleeping in a weird angle and his spine would probably complain in the morning. Zeb slept as the small spoon, even if he was the bigest of them, acting like a purring furnace, and Grumpus laid against his back aiming to purr louder.

Kallus' world would now be full of purple fur and he realized he didn’t mind at all.


End file.
